The Voice - Match preview Bradford City vs Accrington Stanley Saturday 25th November @ 3:00pm

Give over. We are looking at a mid-table finish

 

Attendance: 548

That's what BBC shows it as?

 

Important to win at all costs and a great goal to settle it. Smith when played up top is showing he’s a goal scorer. He can’t have played more than 5 games in a striking role so far. Think him and Cook could forge a good partnership if given time and patience.

 

Thought the back 3 did really well against a good attacking side, They just need to knit now

 

Great to win with a clean sheet. Work rate by all the players was outstanding today plus a good finish from Smithy and a determination not to let them score. It was hair raising at times but we worked so hard.

 

Take One Nil to the Bantams all day long.
Underated player is Smith well done all

 

Poor quality game but we took our chance when it came and that was the difference in the end.

 

Needed another goal scorer this season. Fair play Tyler Smith. Well done, lad.

 

Cooks work rate and presence was a great help and deserves some of the applause

 

Have to say I thought Smallwood was decent today. His set pieces were as consistent decent level I’ve seen from him in one game - deserved an assist had we attacked them better.

I thought he was getting by-pass easily in the first half, but he was much improved second.

 

I'm not getting carried away here but that performance felt like a watershed. That second half put the Hughes era into stark contrast. If anything it put his short comings into sharp focus. We didn't hold onto a one goal lead, we managed a one goal lead. How refreshing to see the game out by refusing the opposition play the game in our half. We occupied them and refused to sit back. This was the approach that was sadly lacking under Hughes.

We played more forward passes in that game than we must've done the when season under Hughes. That game today could be the beginning of a new direction and a positive one. I liked the system today too. Gillead and Walker seems to be tailor made for the inside left and right with Smallwood a pivot doing the simple things well. Halliday and Richards kept their wide men pinned back with phenomenal efforts today too.

I know it wasn't scintillating but we need to recognise the benefits that came today with the change of approach. I think we might turn a corner.

 

Back to basics in a league full of basic footballing sides.

I do worry when we face some of the more technical sides, but for now... It will do.

 

Taylor had his best game for us today I think

 

Indeed. Playing the game in their half by playing the ball forward and having 3 basic cbs patrolling the area seems to be the formula. Special mention to Kelly who I thought was superb. At one point we had 7 players in their area on a throw in at 1-0 up. It was a sight to behold. Under Hughes I shudder to think how the last 30 minutes of that game would've panned out.

 

Hands up. who kidnapped our back 3 and put in actual centre backs

 

Let's not forget the errors in the first half that nearly gifted them the lead. Our defensive unit was pretty solid last season and somehow we seem to need to rebuild it despite having all the same players as last season in the squad.

 

A typical league 2 football match, the teams separated by a neat finish. Looked solid if unspectacular but very little between the sides. Hopefully build on this till we can get to the January transfer window

 

Fair to him, he was better. There’s a long way to go before i feel uber confident in him though. On paper I’d still take Stubbs over him.

 

And they are 7th.
Lge 2 football in a nutshell.

 

Thought he had a good game today.